H. Yamashita et al., Functional consequences of mutations in the smooth muscle myosin heavy chain at sites implicated in familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, J BIOL CHEM, 275(36), 2000, pp. 28045-28052
Familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (FHC) is frequently associated with mu
tations in the beta-cardiac myosin heavy chain. Many of the implicated resi
dues are located in highly conserved regions of the myosin II class, sugges
ting that these mutations may impair the basic functions of the molecular m
otor. To test this hypothesis, we have prepared recombinant smooth muscle h
eavy meromyosin with mutations at sites homologous to those associated with
FHC by using a baculovirus/ insect cell expression system. Several of the
heavy meromyosin mutants, in particular R403Q, showed an increase in actin
filament velocity in a motility assay and an enhanced actin-activated ATPas
e activity. Single molecule mechanics, using a laser trap, gave unitary dis
placements and forces for the mutants that were similar to wild type, but t
he attachment times to actin following a unitary displacement were markedly
reduced. These results suggest that the increases in activity are due to a
change in kinetics and not due to a change in the intrinsic mechanical pro
perties of the motor. In contrast to earlier reports, we find that mutation
s in residues implicated in FHC affect motor function by enhancing myosin a
ctivity rather than by a loss of function.